Tensor product representations of the quantum double of a compact group (Q1290449)

Let \(A\) be a Hopf *-algebra, \(A^0\) be the dual Hopf *-algebra to \(A\) with opposite comultiplication. The algebra \(D(A)\) is called the quantum double of \(A\), if \(D(A)\) is a quasi-triangular Hopf *-algebra, it is equal to \(A\otimes A^0\) as a linear space, and it contains \(A\otimes\mathbf{1}\) and \(\mathbf{1}\otimes A^0\) as Hopf *-subalgebras. An important mathematical application of the quantum double is a rather simple construction of the ``ordinary'' quasi-triangular quantum groups, i.e., \(q\)-deformation of universal enveloping algebras of semisimple Lie algebras and of algebras of functions on the corresponding groups. From here it is interesting to consider the quantum double \(D(G)\) of the Hopf *-algebra of functions on a (locally) compact group \(G\), and to study its representation theory. For \(G\) a finite group, \(D(G)\) can be realized as the linear space of all complex valued functions on \(G\times G\). In this paper the authors take the following approach to \(D(G)\) for \(G\) (locally) compact: \(D(G)\) be realized as a linear space in the form \(C_c(G\times G)\), the space of complex valued, continuous functions of compact support on \(G\times G\). The authors use the explicit comultiplication on \(D(G)\) in order to build tensor products of irreducible *-representations, and study their behaviour under the action of the \(R\)-matrix, and their decomposition into irreducible *-representations. Finally, the example of \(G=\text{SU}(2)\) is treated in detail, with explicit formulas for direct integfral decomposition: ``Clebsch-Gordan (C-G) series'' and C-G coefficients.